Joey Saputo, the longtime owner of MLS’ CF Montréal, is putting the club up for sale, and he’s not even ruling out a move for the team if the right local offer doesn’t materialize. This bombshell came down Monday during a press conference where Saputo, 62, told everyone, in both French and English, that he’s exploring a sale because “it’s time to move on.”
Time to Pass the Torch: Saputo’s Exit Strategy
Saputo’s stated goal for selling the club is all about “continuity, preserve stability and create the right condition for the club’s next chapter of growth and success.” He basically said there comes a time when you just gotta recognize a chapter needs to end, especially after over three decades of family ownership. He’s calling this a “structured sale process” and believes it’s the right time to find new ownership. He’s super clear this isn’t some emergency or forced situation, but a “careful and deliberate reflection” on where things stand and the opportunities ahead. For context, Saputo is the son of Canadian dairy giant Saputo Inc.’s founder, Emanuele “Lino” Saputo. Joey founded the Montreal Impact way back in 1992, guided it into MLS in 2012, and saw it rebranded to CF Montréal in 2021. Oh, and he’s also the majority owner of Italian club Bologna. He’s hired two firms to help with the sale, but hasn’t even met with them yet. One thing he’s making abundantly clear: he’s not looking for a partner. He wants an owner to take full, complete control of the franchise.
Relocation on the Table? Montréal’s Future Hangs in the Balance
Here’s where it gets wild: Saputo initially said his “clear preference” is to keep the club in Montréal. But then he straight up admitted he’d sell to someone looking to relocate if the local offers are too low. He said he loves for the club to stay put, but if there’s no local buyer and an offer comes in that requires relocation, he’d have “no choice” but to take it. He’s not about to “discount the club to the point of just giving it away for the sake of giving it away.” In his words, he wouldn’t be doing anyone a favor by selling it cheap just to keep it there if that buyer can’t bring the club to the “next level.” That’s a pretty strong signal he means business about getting the right price, even if it means uprooting the team.
Decades of Ownership, Years of Struggles
This decision didn’t come out of nowhere, but Saputo insists it’s “not the past season that we had, or wasn’t one particular event.” He says when you’ve been in it as long as he has, you just hit a point where you feel you’ve “done everything I could possibly do, and it’s time to pass the torch.” The club has definitely struggled lately, failing to make the playoffs for two seasons straight. This year was especially rough, with Montréal finishing second-to-last in the league, holding a dismal 6W-8D-20L record. Historically, the club hasn’t exactly lit up the postseason either, never making it past the semifinals in the MLS playoffs. Their season officially wrapped up on MLS Decision Day, sealing their second consecutive year out of the postseason.
What’s next for CF Montréal is a whole lot of uncertainty as the club looks for new ownership. Saputo has brought in two firms to help with the sale, but it’s clear the future of pro soccer in Montréal is hanging in the balance, waiting to see if a local buyer steps up or if relocation becomes the only real play.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
Leave a Reply